Month: May 2018

Naked man Orchid, just one of many examples of wonder, beauty and humour from Mother Nature

Freaky Flowers

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This week I saw a post on Facebook that surprised me. After something like 18 years in the flower industry I have seen many spectacular blooms, but realistically, I probably haven’t even seen 10% of the beauty and wonder out there. But one flower that I have seen almost day in and day out, either in store or in gardens surrounding me, has surprised me this week, and I suspect I am not alone….

This is the post I saw on Facebook via several pages this week;

Strelitzia flowers resemble exotic birds
Source; Twitter

The Strelitzia, is also known as a ‘crane flower ‘ or ‘Bird of Paradise’ because of its likeness to an exotic bird. The explanation doesn’t go any further, and you are left to connect the dots yourself so if like me, you assumed it was simply the head of a gorgeous bird with showy plumes, I have now come to realise how very wrong we were. And now that the illustration has been shown to me, I can’t believe I never saw the whole bird body in flight before 🙄

Perhaps this is just a case of not seeing what is right below your nose, because as I said, Strelitzia flowers are readily available, both to florists and also as a common garden variety plant. But there are many amazing flowers that look like other things in the plant kingdom; they offer a combination of wonder, beauty and humour courtesy of Mother Nature.

Take for example Impatiens Psittacina, more commonly known as the Parrot flower. These dainty blooms look like a brightly coloured bird complete with fluttering wings and a long tail.

The Parrot flower resembles birds a flutter
Source; EarthPorm

Or check out these gorgeous babies all swaddled and cosy. Believe it or not but these gorgeous little cherubs are Anguloa Uniflora, also known as a Tulip Orchid, originating in the Andes regions around Venezuela, Columbia and Ecuador.

Source; Architecture n Design

This orchid variety (Habenaria-Radiata) is found throughout China, Japan, Korea, and Russia, and resembles a white egret with its plumage puffed out.

The White egret flower was so named as it resembles the bird with its wings out
Source; EarthPorm
White Egret birds with their wings outstretched resemble the orchids with the same colloquial name
Source; Tgonature Center

We also have the fascinating Monkey Faced Orchid, Dracula Simia, where each bloom appears to have a primitive face staring back at you. These orchids are rare and grow in South America, in the cloudy high altitude forests of southeastern Ecuador and Peru. Plus, when the bloom is fully developed, it smells just like a ripe orange 🍊 Well, fancy that.

Monkey Faced Orchid
Source: I Find Viral

Another Orchid, Orchis italica, is commonly referred to as the naked man orchid, and resembles a well….naked man. The Orchid is native to the Mediterranean.

Naked man orchids are native to the Mediterranean
Source; 1001 Gardens

By no means is this list exhaustive….there are so many weird and wonderful varieties of plants out there that look like something else.  If you have seen something fascinating, feel free to share it via our Facebook page- we love seeing all things weird, wild and wacky. Who knows, perhaps you can shed some light on something that has long been under our nose, that we haven’t quite ‘seen’ yet.

Fwf x

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The Royal Wedding 2018

The Language of Flowers used in The Royal Wedding

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I could hardly write this week’s blog on anything other than the Royal Wedding, mainly because I’m a florist and like every other florist in the world, I was waiting with bated breath to see what spectacular displays were created. Traditionally, after a wedding of this calibre, we tend to see an increase in interest from brides aiming to replicate the bouquet.

This time, I think it will be a bit of a challenge for Australian florists, but Meghan Markle’s simple bouquet seems to have captured many hearts, along with the rest of their love story.

The Duchess of Sussex's wedding bouquet was a gorgeous combination of royal traditions and subtlety incorporated the Victorian language of flowers

The now, Duchess of Sussex’s bouquet included sweet pea, forget-me-nots, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine, astrantia and the royal tradition of myrtle flowers. Her bouquet includes strong messages from both a royal stand point, as well as from the Victorian language of flowers.

Many of the flowers included in the bouquet grow in the garden at their home at Kensington Palace which I thought was a lovely way to integrate what seems to me to be their down to earth nature as a couple.

According to the language of flowers Astilbe is a symbol of dedication and Lily of the Valley symbolises of love.

The bouquet also contained forget- me- nots which were Princess Diana’s favourite flowers. The bouquet also contained delicate sweet pea blossoms, and jasmine.

The wedding flower arrangements at the entrance of the chapel were later rearranged into bouquet that were given to hospices and women's refuges

Along with the bouquet, London based florist Phillipa Craddock, created a monumental floral gateway, which is said to have been made without floral foam. Perhaps for non-florists that doesn’t seem like some great feat, but to create such a large floral display without floral foam takes great skill, artistry and mechanical ingenuity.

The benefit of not using floral foam is that you can keep the stems long, allowing them to be transformed into something later, and that is exactly what transpired. This time though, they were not rearranged into something for the reception as is often the case, instead the flowers were bunched up into hand tied bouquets, and delivered to various hospices and women’s refuges.

The residents of St Joseph's Hospice were thrilled to receive flowers from the royal wedding.

Phillipa Craddock, the florist appointed by the couple for the Royal Wedding shared a photo via instagram detailing what would happen to the floral arrangements which decorated the entrances to St George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle. And later, a resident from St Joseph’s Hospice was pictured holding one of the bouquets with a touching thank you message, and the biggest grin from ear to ear.

The floral arrangements within the chapel were left there, for another couple to use who were marrying in the coming days.

Meghan Markle's bouquet contained secret menaings

Following in the tradition of leaving the royal bridal bouquet at the grave of a fallen soldier, Meghan Markle’s bouquet, was left at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, in Westminster Abbey.

This tradition was started by the Queen Mother at her marriage to King George VI in memory of her brother Fergus, who was killed in 1915 during the First World War.

It is back to business as usual for the couple, who have postponed their honeymoon, and are instead performing their Royal duties.

Did you watch the Royal Wedding?

Fwf x

 

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Flower ordering for the future?

Uber Easy Flowers?

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I read an article the other day on 9homes that suggested that the future of buying flowers was an Uber-esque website called Bag a Bouquet. Like many platforms these days, what this does is offer you an array of products that are available in your delivery area from different businesses and suppliers. From there you can choose your bouquet based on style, or price, rather than having to sift through several websites yourself. Bag a Bouquet is the brain child of former property industry worker, 26 year old Xanthe Reynolds, who saw a problem in her own buying experience and made it an opportunity.

For some generations, this new world look at buying flowers will fit perfectly, but for others who value loyalty and a personalised experience, this will yet again miss the mark by removing the human component of gift giving. As a florist, when you want to create something unique, it is imperative that you understand both your client and the intended recipient, and how do you do that if you never interact with anyone? Simply choosing from a website picture just isn’t going to cut it on many occasions. And whilst websites are easily updated and changed daily allowing for seasonal variations, we are still working in a creative industry, Working directly with nature, and where many factors are beyond our control.

 

An arrangement of all white and greens is a great choice as the overall look and feel will remain the same, even if substitutions are made.
An arrangement of all white and greens is a great choice as the overall look and feel will remain the same, even if substitutions are made.

For Florist with Flowers, Tasteful white blooms is one of our most popular arrangements. When you choose an arrangement of all whites and greens you know that even when substitutions are made, the overall look and feel of the arrangement will remain the same.

Crisp white box arrangement
Crisp White Box is a crowd favourite on our website. The simple colour palette is easy to substitute within is required.

Unlike the process of comparing hotels online, where the product is stagnant and fixed, with any fresh product there is always the need to make substitutions and design decisions based on what is available at the time. The reality is a bouquet in a picture is near impossible to replicate; there are colour variations, size variations, stage of bloom variations… There will also be differences in the way the stem has grown, and therefore the direction it naturally moves in an arrangement. These may sound so insignificant individually, but it can vastly change an arrangement. And it is also these little intricacies that can take a bouquet from average to awesome.

Pink Stylish Bouquet
Try choosing a bouquet in one colour tone, like this Pink Stylish Bouquet.

This I believe is the strength of knowing and patronising a small local business. Instagram, Facebook and other social media outlets are invaluable in growing your audience and bringing them into your creative world. There, you can show them how much talent you have in your business and develop a level of trust that means they will allow you to create what you think best suits a brief without specifying exactly what that will be in advance. It is then, that you are able to do your best work also.

But in a florist business there is also the need to manage expectations. When you are face to face with a client or on the phone, you are able to talk to them about any changes you may need to make to an arrangement and also mitigate any concerns they have.

Bright Sunny Bouquet
Bright Sunny Bouquet is a popular item on the Florist with Flowers website.

Like any other buying decision you make online, I believe that it is always best to deal directly with the business that you are buying from. That means it is important to avoid any third party interactions. This is where communication generally breaks down, plus you will often find that some of the money you have spent is paid to the third party as an (often hefty) commission…..so despite spending a lot, you may not end up seeing the value in the final product. It is also much quicker and easier to deal with address changes, or any issues that need to be resolved if you are dealing directly with the business who executes the order for you….

My vote is still 100% for supporting an individual local business!

Just something to keep in mind!

Fwf x

 

 

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Order with Florist with Flowers for Mothers Day

Mother’s Day Countdown On- Only 3 days to go!

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As Mother’s Day fast approaches, you could be forgiven for thinking you may have missed your run. But believe it or not, you have still have time to organise something personalised for your special mum.

For BIG days like this, we are limited to local deliveries only, but we are always able to create something spectacular that you are able to collect in store. Unlike Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day is an occasion that seems to last several days. It is a great chance to organise a family get together, and bring everyone together, so depending on what is convenient, Mother’s Day celebrations tend to start Friday and run right through the weekend.

When you are organising fresh flowers for mum, think about these few key points:

Does she like fragrant flowers? Flowers like oriental lilies are not only spectacular to look at, but they also fill the house with a strong, sweet perfume. Some roses may have soft fragrances, and some bulbs are perfumed also such as Johnquills, and hyacinth.

If she does not enjoy fragrant flowers, the good news is, the traditional Mother’s Day flowers ‘mums’  are not perfumed, and with big, luscious blooms, they make a terrific feature flower.

Perfumed oriental lilies make a gorgeous gift
Perfumed oriental lilies make a gorgeous gift

What kind of colours does she like? Whether she likes neutrals tones like simple whites and greens, soft pastel tones, or bright and cheery colours, Florist with Flowers can create something that will hit the mark.

Whether mum likes bright flowers, soft pastel mixes or a neutral colour palette, Florist with Flowers can create something as special as she is
Whether mum likes bright flowers, soft pastel mixes or a neutral colour palette, Florist with Flowers can create something as special as she is

Now lastly, where are you sending or taking the flowers?

You probably think that there could be nothing more glorious than turning up to mum’s favourite breakfast joint with a giant bouquet of her favourite fresh flowers.Right? Well, after breakfast, mum might have planned to do a spot of shopping or drop in to see a friend,  BUT she is now looking at these glorious flowers knowing that they won’t look so glorious it they don’t get into water soon.

If you are delivering mum flowers to somewhere other than home, or even if you feel like you don’t want to add something else to her to-do list on Mother’s Day, choose an arrangement that comes in its own container. Vase arrangements, ceramic pot arrangements, wooden troughs and even boxes make the gift of flowers sooooo much easier.

Arrangements in containers make excellent and convenient gifts.
Arrangements in containers make excellent and convenient gifts.

The countdown is on now, so run, don’t walk, to get your mum’s flowers organised today.

Only 3 days to go!!!

Fwf x

 

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Image of a daughter suprising her mum for Mother's Day with bouquet of flowers

What You Need to Know When Arranging for a Flower Delivery Service in Cheltenham

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It’s almost the time of the year when people take the time to spoil their mums and express their appreciation for everything she has done. If you’re wondering how to make your mum feel special, you can never go wrong with gifting flowers for the occasion.

Of course, not just any flower will do and you will have to make sure that the flowers get to your mum fresh and on time for her special day.  If you aren’t sure which flowers to choose, expert florists in Cheltenham can help to ensure that your mum gets a beautiful flower bouquet for Mother’s Day.

Consider the following before making arrangements for flower delivery in Australia:

  • It’s important to consider your mum’s preference for flowers when deciding which flowers to get. If you know that she favours a particular kind, then that would be the best choice regardless of what anyone says. If your mum likes different types of flowers, then you can create a bouquet which will delight her.
  • What if you have no idea what your mum’s favourite flower is? Well, you can always opt for traditional favourites. Popular options include roses, carnations and of course, Chrysanthemum — the traditional Mother’s Day flower of Australia.
  • You can likewise take into account your mum’s personality and make decisions based on that. For example, if your mum has an outgoing personality and enjoys outdoor activities like gardening, then sunflowers are likely to be one of her favourites.
  • Choose flowers based on colour — each colour has a significance. For example, red roses have always been a symbol of love. If your mum prefers a particular colour, then you would want to take that into account as well.

There is no shortage of options in finding flowers that are most suitable for your mother on her special day. You need only to take the time to look around and consider the factors mentioned above.

Purchase flowers and arrange for delivery online

Are you looking for the quickest and most convenient way to get your mum Mother’s Day flowers? If so, the most convenient method is to shop online. Reputable flower shop businesses like “Florist with Flowers” have websites that showcase flower arrangements and other gift options for the occasion. You need only place an Order for bouquets Online for Mother’s day, and they will take care of the rest.

Make sure that you place an order for the flowers ahead of time to beat the rush and ensure the flowers you want are available. As the demand can often exceed supply just a few days before the occasion.

 

Are you looking to place an order for Mother’s Day flowers? Check out our beautiful selection of flower bouquets online or phone us today on 02 9871 1666. We would be happy to help you make sure that your mum gets the flowers that she deserves on this special day.

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Image of a child giving her mum bunch of flowers for Mother's Day

A Good Look at your Options for Mother’s Day Flower Delivery In Parramatta

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and florists that offer flower delivery services in Parramatta can get extremely busy. If you want to make sure that you get your mum the perfect bouquet of flowers for the occasion, you would want to know what to look out for and place orders for the right flowers well ahead of the rush.

The following is a guide to the significance of various kind of flowers that you can gift your mum on Mother’s Day:

Chrysanthemum — the traditional Mother’s Day flower of Australia

Are you unsure what kind of flowers you mum likes? You can never go wrong with a bouquet of Chrysanthemum. These flowers are available in every colour with white and pink being the most common.

As flowers go, Chrysanthemums are tough and flower in abundance during the months of March, April and May which makes it perfect as a Mother’s Day gift.  These flowers are also a good source of Pyrethrins which helps protect against mosquito bites and other insects. They are tough and protective — just like mums are when raising their children.

Carnations

Another traditional and popular option for Mother’s Day flowers are carnations which are widely regarded as a symbol of eternal love. Anna Jarvis, the woman who founded Mother’s Day in honour of her mum, Ann Marie Jarvis, was herself fond of carnations. The flowers are symbolic of many things but more so of the unconditional love a mother has for her children.

Tulips

An excellent choice of Mother’s Day flowers for mums who exhibit elegance and grace. These flowers offer the perfect means to say “I love you” to one’s mum and express happy thoughts and appreciation for all the motherly care.

Roses

Flowers that have long been symbolic of a mother’s love. The flower is sacred to the goddess Isis — the Egyptian goddess of motherly love and protection.

Lilacs

Lilacs are flowers symbolic of the love between a mother and her children. They express love, humility and youthful innocence.

Irises

A bouquet of Iris flowers is ideal for mums who are devout Catholics as Irises bear a religious significance to the Virgin Mary. These flowers symbolise faith, hope and wisdom as well as deep affection between mother and child.

Sunflowers

These flowers symbolise the sun itself and speak of how a mother can offer her child warmth and happiness.

Orchids

One of the most beautiful flowers which conveys happiness and grace — qualities that represent some of the many joys of motherhood.
Are you looking to send flowers to your mum for Mother’s Day? We have what you need here at “Florist with Flowers”! Browse through our beautiful selection of flower bouquets tailor-made for the occasion or call us today on  02 9871 1666 to design your own. We can arrange for same-day delivery of flowers to Parramatta although  it is strongly recommend that you place your orders ahead of time to ensure your mother will receive the perfect bouquet of Mother’s Day flowers.

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Image of a mum and child holding bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day

Why Send Flowers in Cheltenham for Mother’s Day? A Historical Perspective

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Mother’s Day is just a few days away, and people are scrambling to find a gift their mums would appreciate. We also know how easy it is to lose track of time as Mother’s Day approaches. Fortunately, there is always the option of arranging for a next day flower delivery service in Cheltenham.

Flowers make the perfect gift whether you are giving or receiving them. You might be wondering though — why do people give flowers on Mother’s Day?

According to the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), Australians spend roughly $2 billion spoiling their mums over the Mother’s Day Weekend. A 2015 study found that the average Australian spends $53 on Mother’s Day.

To understand why we spend so much and take the time to get our mums flowers, here is a historical perspective on why Mother’s Day is observed all over the world.

 

The Origin of Mother’s Day

People first celebrated Mother’s Day in 1905 in memory of Anna Reeves Jarvis – a social activist from Culpeper, Virginia whose life work was instrumental in reducing the rate of infant mortality during the 1850s. Her daughter, Anna Jarvis compelled people to dedicate a day each year in celebration of what their mothers had done for them.

On 9th May 1914, President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation officially establishing a Mother’s Day holiday in celebration of American mothers. The observance  of Mother’s Day eventually spread to different countries all around the world.

Like most countries, Australia celebrates Mother’s Day on every second Sunday of May. There are those who believe that the act of gifting flowers is a sign of the season as the autumn months transition into winter. However, flowers are also a symbol of fertility and life — gifts that our mums have bestowed upon us.

When making arrangements with an Online Florist in Cheltenham for Mother’s Day flowers, keep in mind that certain kinds of flowers can hold specific meaning. Of course, most mums would be equally pleased whether you get them red roses or white ones.

When picking the perfect bouquet of flowers for your mother, keep in mind that different flowers have different meanings. In Australia, Chrysanthemum is considered the traditional Mother’s Day flower. You can also get your mum white and red carnations which symbolise gratitude and admiration. Of course you can never go wrong with roses as an expression of your love. Whatever the occasion, flowers are an excellent and ideal choice to gift when expressing our love and appreciation for mothers.

 

Do you need help making arrangements for flower delivery in Cheltenham for Mother’s Day? We at “Florist with Flowers” would be more than happy to help! Choose from our selection of flower bouquets and gift options online or call us today on  02 9871 1666 for any questions or concerns.

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The tough business of flowers

Mentor Shines Spotlight on the Struggles of a small florist business

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From the moment you can talk, basically everyone asks you what you want to do when you grow up. What do you want to be? Find something you are passionate about, they say. If you have passion, you will always go above and beyond what is expected and success will come.

IMG_0097

What they don’t tell you is that sometimes it can be a looooong, bumpy road to success, and if you checked out The Mentor on Channel 7 on Monday night you will know exactly what I mean.

Florist, Kim Key owns and runs a small business based in Cronulla in the South of Sydney. She is an extremely experienced florist, hard working, and you know what, even when her business was floundering, her passion was palpable. She still absolutely loved the flowers, and what she did.

Small business owners, just like Kim, and us, wear so many different hats
Photo Credit: Cronulla Florist

Like many passionate florists, she is not a trained business person. She simply wanted to turn her passion into a flourishing business. It is a situation that is pretty common in this industry actually. Whether you have learnt on the job whilst employed, or decided to jump in head first, many florists have no business or marketing background, but instead rely on their love of flowers to propel their business upwards.

It takes a special kind of person to be a florist: the kind of person that can listen to your ramblings and create something that ticks all the boxes that you didn’t know you had. It is someone who understands the ‘look’ you want to create, and how to achieve it sometimes without being able to show you exactly what that is beforehand.

Mark Bouris gives. Aluable advice to a small florist shop owner that we can all learn from
Photo Credit: The Mentor, Mark Bouris Twitter

Mark Bouris served up a fairly hefty dose of tough love, and although emotional, Kim was steadfast in her mission. This is a mother, wife, daughter and friend giving her everything, and sacrificing so much of her own life and happiness in an attempt to build her dream. It was hard to watch at times as Bouris used large online businesses to illustrate what she could do better.  In many ways, what a small business has on offer is the fact that it is so unlike a large faceless online business; the old fashioned experience of knowing the shop owner and talking to someone in person, and seeing what they have in store. BUT Bouris also illustrated just how hard the flower business is and how the margins on flowers alone, just aren’t large enough to have a successful business.

IMG_0099

 

The episode served as a great reminder for me on a couple of points:

  1. You don’t know if you don’t ask. Getting into the habit of asking each and every customer if they would like a vase, chocolates, balloons, toys etc, is not only good for business, but enhances the whole customer experience. Happy customers = A better business.
  2. If you don’t exist on Social Media, then you don’t exist. Social Media presence is ESSENTIAL in today’s marketplace. Invite your customers into your world and give them an insight into your everyday. Building loyalty these days looks different, but it is still based on the concept of connecting.

A big thank you to Kim for being so transparent and honest about her business and the struggles of all small business owners. Whilst I think many of our hearts broke with hers there were a lot of lessons in there for everyone. And as a side note Kim, I think having a friendly personality creates a relaxed and inviting shop environment, without that feeling people are less likely to come in 😉

With Mother’s Day coming up next weekend, remember to patronise your local small businesses, otherwise they will cease to exist 💔 You can check out what we have on offer this year here.

And if you missed the episode of The Mentor, and are interested, you can check it out here.

Fwf x

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